Modern Vespa

I've noticed that quite a few scooterists do not regularly wear armoured jackets and trousers (and boots). Why is this?

I guess it's a matter of choice. I only have to get some armored pants and I'll be complete. Armor and riding gear doesn't come cheap and I've had to make do as I go.

This could probably go the way of the full face vs 3/4 vs brain bucket debate.

I'm not interested in passing any judgements here. It's just that I recently started wearing protective gear and was surprised at the price, lack of availabilty of stuff that looks OK on a scooter and the fact that I was completely ignored at one motorcycle clothing shop I visited on my Vespa. I'm just wondering what factors have put people off wearing protective gear. Style, price, availability or something else?

i wear either a very heavy leather jacket in the spring and fall, an armored jacket in the winter, and an armored mesh jacket in the summer. i always wear armored gloves and a full face, but i never wear armored pants and i slack on wearing my boots in the summer. i own a pair of armored pants only because i got a chance to ride my scoot at a track day and i had to have them, but that was the only time i wore them.


i know i'm chancing it without the armored pants.

Interesting, that response is the same on both sides of the pond!

I wear helmet, jacket, (with my new Modern Vespa patch my lovely wife sewed on) gloves and boots. For pants, usually just jeans.

I always ride with armor. Except for the pants.
Which doesn't mean I ride without pants.
I just don't have armored pants.
I just gotta get around to getting some.

I haven't been ignored at the motorcycle shops I have visited so far. Probably because they all sell scooters, too.

If you are being ignored, just pick out something you are interested in and put in on the counter. When they smell the money they will start talking to you and then you can start asking questions and make your final choice.

Don't let bad customer service be an excuse for riding without protection!

I don't want to.

Mostly because it's a PITA...

Does anyone know of armored khakis, other than the DragginJeans version?

I ride my scooter to my dog-walking jobs, running neighborhood errands, visiting friends and to social functions. "Armor" would be overdoing it in all cases, necessitating a change of clothes when I get to my destination. I do not wish to do that.

Yes, yes yes, I know, "bones don't care if they're broken on a scooter or a motorcycle." I know that. I ride with a 3/4 helmet (full-face modular in bad weather) long pants, and covered toes. I don't wish to arrive at my destination padded up like an astronaut.

the ground is just as hard from anything you ride as a scoot I wear full gear because I dont want to pick rocks out of my arms and legs.

Scootawop, have you checked out the Corazzo hoodies and shop jackets? They don't look like sportbike robo-padded garments at all. Have a look! click here!

Footwear that covers your very vulnerable ankle bones is available in stylish variations galore, too.... 8) For example, see zappos.com

--Deborah

I guess my worst guilt here is not making my passengers wear armor. I insist on a helmet but don't make them wear any other protective gear, including my own teenagers... I know, I know. But they always see dad pulling out with his helmet and jacket every day. I'm hoping it's sinking into their brains. (my daughter actually complains that the jacket gets too hot because I'm so large in front that I'm good at "breaking wind" so she stays warm.

I have yet to find a jacket that is comfortable and doesn't make me look like I should be on a steed with my jousting lance. I'm not too tall, but am rather 'top heavy'. Jackets that only go to the waist look ridiculous on me. I wear boots, padded gloves and a modular helmet.

I don't always wear armored pants, but I do a lot. The armored jacket, helmet (required in CA, and I appreciate the safety), and boots I do wear.

olympia makes pants that look like khakies that have armor and you can also zip off the bottom half of the pants and wear them like shorts when you're not riding. icon and triumph make jeans with kevlar that look and fit much better than dragging jeans. triumph even has waterproof jeans.

I always wear a full face helmet, armored jacket, and armored gloves but I never wear armored pants or shoes. If Im dressed for work its easy to put on the jacket over my work clothes, but I cant imagine changing pants and shoes each morning after I got to work. I know that full gear would be better but Im comfortable with the gear Im wearing. Hell at least Im not the guy wearing Tivas, a wife beater, and shorts like I see around town on the weekends.

I wear full gear almost always.

My mate was hit by a car last night without any protective gear except an open face helmet.

Lucky for him it was at slow speed and he was on his now written off x9-500. He walked away without a scratch. Might have been a different story if he was on any of his lambretta`s.

I'm sorry ... been hanging around with my youngest son and his friends too much today

I always wear all the gear - from head to toe. it is true, that it is a hassle to have to get it all on, but I find that it doesn't take too much time. I have a change of slacks and shoes at work that I put on - takes about the same amount of time as my computer to warm up. It's just the way that I have always done it, and I am used to it now. The one area where I do take short cuts is with the ear plugs (my HJC is noisy in the wind). If' I have already put on the helmet, I'll skip on the plugs.

But that's me and it works. I do not pass judgment on what others do, because they have their own reasons.

If I am going out of my town and therefore at speeds greater than 40 mph, I wear the full armoured gear: jacket, over trousers, gloves, full-face and boots. If I am just going around town I don't wear the armoured trousers.

Wendy

armor overdoing it in all cases? i know it's your choice that you don't wish to wear it, i don't wear armored pants either so i'm chancing it too, but i wouldn't advice that armor is "overdoing it" to others because your only going to run errands or walk dogs. accidents happen anywhere. i can show you some nice pretty scars on my elbow and shoulders where i had to pick gravel out of when i tumped at 15 mph on my nice new stella a few years back and some more where my shoe flew off when i slid on unseen garbage in our service alley. it's not fun, trust me and i had a very very light case of road rash compare to others. most armor clothing goes over your clothes so you don't have to change.

Personally, if the law was still as it was many moons ago, I would ride without a helmet too around town, Just as I did in on the Spanish Island of Mallorca a few years ago when I rented a scooter there.
I think everyone is way too paranoid about what "could" happen.
I know no one else agrees with me, but it's personal choice. In the summer months in the UK, when the weather hits 70f and up, i sometimes wear just a t-shirt on top, I love it, the best way to ride But i know, the worst way to crash.

Before long, they'll force us to wear leg protectors and all sorts of "safety gear" I'm just making the most of it whilst I can.

deeyup

I wear FF, Gloves, Boots, Armored jacket ALL the time. I usually wear armored trousers - lately I have been wearing armored jeans Cortech DVX (something like that) - they are VERY comfy and you can hardly tell they have knee armor. There is leather lining the seat and knees as well. I like them very much

i always wear gloves and some sort of jacket no matter what the weather ...
wear an armoured jacket and trousers on long rides to rallies and back etc...
one mistake was to buy armoured trousers without a removable lining got very sweaty wearing them last summer ..still ya live and learn lol

wear a flight jacket for local trips but always feel underprotected ..but thats sorted now as have got meself a corazzo hoody which fits perfect underneath ..best thing i have bought in a long time

I agree with the paranoia - then again, if I come off, I'll no doubt be just as paranoid as everyone else.

I allways wear the fullface, gloves, and armored jacket (mesh style in summer, and over the ankle boots. In winter spring and fall I wear armored over pants or leather chaps. Yea chaps look funny but are super easy on/off. My winter overpants do have a removable lining, but in late June-August they (or chaps) are just to hot. I gotta get some mesh over pants.

I really do not feel right (mentally) without the gear. I get laughed at by co-workers/friends, but hey at 6'3" and 260 I get laughed at for riding a scooter, Beale.

hi all has anyone checked out leatherup.com they have great cycle clothing at great prices, i bought a nylon jacket with armor and great style for 50 bucks and a dot helmet for 33. it was here in ny from cali in a week.

My .02. I wear FF helmet, armoured jacket, gloves, amroured over pants, and boots every day for my commute to work. I just leave a pile of them under my desk. around town everything but the pants, only beacause it is a PITA when running errands. But again to each there own.

same reason some motorcyclists dont. it's not always convenient, or practical. of course, this means you have to live with the consequences if you fall

I rode the scenic ride at WKRP today with FF helmet, gloves, armored jacket, m/c boots but wore jeans instead of armored pants. One of the riders went down and now sports crimson road rash on his left knee. Could have been worse but that's a wake up call to me.

death wish

I always wear my Corrazzo jacket, FF helmet, Gloves and jeans. I just got boots. I got in my first wreck last month. Got ran off the road. I decided running into a cement median was better than getting ran over by a truck. Ended up flipping over and landing on my back and head. Luckily all I got was some whiplash and a sprained ankle. (from not wearing boots that day.) Could have been a hell of lot worse. There was $2400 damage to my scooter. Luckily I finally got to pick up my scooter today. I travel to work everyday and sometimes between our hospital and other facilities. No matter I will at least wear everything (except not change into my jeans) However if I am going more than a couple of miles, I will take the time to change into my jeans.

Wow, Kelly So glad you came out of this without more damage to you or your scoot. Thank the goddesses you were wearing gear [the new boots: an excellent addition]. Hope you feel better!

--Deborah

Finding something flattering is a challenge. I have now dropped down to wearing a Draggin jacket only if I am going to be travelling at speed - not just for protection, but because it normalises the windshear from my ladybumps.

Around town I have dropped to wearing a normal hoodie.

The only place in Australia that sells Corazzo is out in the Northern Beaches area in Sydney. If I'm there for a weekend I'll be f@cked if I am going to waste half a day getting to and from the shop. Emailed them and they took three days to reply.

I wish I could deal with Corazzo direct.

Thanks for all the responses so far. I wear all the gear on my 20 mile round commute into London and on longer, fast runs. But on weekends and when pootling around town I often wear an open face helmet, jeans and a light (unarmoured) jacket - and sometimes even less.

I've been wondering recently whether there's any demand for a shop that specialises in scooter-wear. Somewhere that stocks Corazzo, Belstaff, Dainese, Tucano and other subtly stylish and subtly protective gear that looks good on and off the scooter. Just a thought as my job as a manager in the health service is sometimes not where I want to be. Opinions welcome please.

I agree with you Kam that kit can be difficult to get in one place. As for demand, you can be sure if I didn't have to ride around town to seperate dealers I would be a loyal customer.

I use three or four dealers to get everything I use, one for Tucano, one for Draggin, another for Dainese. I suspect that they have exclusive distribution deals. Corazzo, well I've never seen it in London and the dealers don't know what it is!

The majority of scooter riders in London seem to wear gloves at least, as well as the compulsory helmet. The worst dressed are mostly women - the guys will wear jackets and boots but the girls rarely do.

I have been gradually moving up the gear ladder. When I first started to ride, I was one of those bad t shirt and sandals kind of riders. I didn't really know any better. Once I got the GTS and started to think more sanely, I first got a Corazzo 5.0 which I always wear no matter how warm or cold. Next I got a modular helmet which yesterday I upgraded to a Shoei RF 1000. I have Joe Rocket gloves, one for summer and one for winter riding. Finally a week ago I got myself a pair of riding boots. I still don't have riding pants yet.

I don't do all the gear all the time because in the real world its just too much PITA.

I started riding in 1967 on a Honda super 90, and went on to larger Hondas and then BMW's. In 2002 I sold my motorcycle and went to a Vespa ET4. It was easier to handle with some arthritus issues and way more fun.

All the years I motorcycled, I wore a denum jacket in the summer, and my leathers in the winter. The scooter I sort of do the same-leather jacket in cold weather, denums in summer. When it's really hot I'll wear a denum or Sears long sleeve kahki work shirt. I've never had a full face helmet, and at this stage of my life don't plan on it. If I'm doing short erends close to home on my scootr in hot weather, I'll ride in shorts. Its a risk, I know, but there it is. I bet more of you do this than will admit.

The strange thing is, I feel way safer on a scooter. After 35 years on everything from a little Honda to my K75 Beemer, I've had WAY less close calls on the scoot per year than bikes. Also it seems that people SEE me. On my motorcyle I would see people look at me like the were looking past me, then pull right out in front of me. But on the Vespa they look at me, and seem to really SEE me.

Also I'm not traveling at near the speeds I used to on my bikes. No highway travel on my PX150, and most of my riding is on small country roads at low speeds just cruising. At my age I find myself riding very consertitive and coutious. Being retired I'm not in a hurry to get someplace too often.

So with 40 years of riding experiance, I choose not to wear all the gear. I've yet to go down, so maybe one day I will, then get paranoid. But for now, I think I'll stay with my 3/4 helmet, and regular jeans, and work shirt over a tee shirt in the summer. When I get to the diner to meet my other retired friends for breakfast I can take off the workshirt and gloves and be comfy in the summer.

Besides, in my years of riding I have noticed that alot of the cycle crashes were the result of the rider acting like a horses a-s, with a large dose of stupidity tossed in. Or the new yuppy rider who took a MSF course that tought them how to operate a motorcycle on a parking lot, goes out and buys a Harley thinking he knows how to ride a motorcycle and crashes. And I'm not even going to go on about the idiot that buys a cheap chinese scooter because no licence is needed for a 50cc, crashes and the scoot gets blammed by is family for being dangerous.

A scooter ridden in a responsable mannor within the limits of the vehicles design, is a safer vehicle than a motorcycle. I have no data to back that up expept those 40 years of experiance. So I don't wear as much gear as I did on my motorcycles.